Private Moments in Public Places
by raceyg
Summary: The study group happen upon Jeff & Annie in an intimate exchange. Written during the hiatus in response to a Milady/Milord prompt.


"That's RACIST!" Britta exclaims as she strides into the library's alcove flanked closely by Pierce and Shirley.

"It is NOT!" Pierce argues. "I just believe everybody should be treated equally..." the two women remain silent waiting for the other shoe to drop "...no matter if you're black, brown, yellow or _normal_."

A couple of steps behind them trail Troy and Abed engrossed in a discussion about who they think would be the ultimate guest star on their favourite sci-fi series.

"What if the DARSIT broke down and Kaylee was the only one who could fix it?" Troy suggests excitedly.

Abed considers the idea then counters logically "No, the Inspector would always be able to figure out what was wrong with the DARSIT." A moment later his eyes light up "But maybe fixing it would require a rare part that they'd need the Firefly crew to help find!"

As they near Study Room F Britta and Shirley come to an abrupt stop. Thinking quickly, Britta throws her arm out to the side blocking Pierce from taking another step.

"Hey!" perturbed, he looks up from his phone.

The two boys follow suit, managing to stop just short of colliding into the trio in front. Troy peers over Britta's shoulder curious why his friends are obstructing their way. Abed flattens down one side of Shirley's hair in order to see over her shoulder and promptly receives a deathly 'I know you didn't just touch my hair' stare. Satisfied he won't reoffend, her attention returns to the scene playing out behind the closed glass doors.

In the far corner of the study room, next to the couch, Jeff is down on bended knee. In front of him stands Annie. His right arm is extended towards her offering her something, something held firmly in his hand. His expression is serious, his brow furrowed. His lips move but the words are inaudible from the other side of the glass.

The eyes of the study group travel in unison from Jeff's face to Annie's.

Her jaw drops, her gaze transfixed on his hand. After a second or two she lifts her eyes to meet his. A huge smile breaks across her face and a tear rolls down her cheek. She nods her head eagerly. This time sound is unnecessary, it's clear to their audience the word she has just uttered is "Yes!"

Unfazed by the development Abed looks around distractedly, noting the rest of the group stands frozen with their mouths ajar.

As Jeff stands, Annie jumps up and down excitedly clapping her hands. Once he is upright she rushes towards him, her arms outstretched. The force of her embrace causes him to stumble backwards. Her arms grip around his waist, her face presses into his chest. Jeff's arms loop around her back and his chin comes to rest upon her head. They stay like that for a moment, entwined. Finally Annie loosens her grasp to brace his arms. She leans back from him slightly and looks up. They stare into each other's eyes.

From the group's vantage point they can no longer make out the expressions on the couple's faces

Slowly Jeff and Annie edge towards each other and kiss.

"Britttaaaa, BRITTTAAAA..."

The incessant patting at her arm breaks Britta from her daze. Instinctively she shirks her arm away from Shirley's assault, then thinking better of it moves to hold the woman's hand, steadying her herself and her friend.

Luckily this distraction occurs just in time for her to notice Pierce raise a cupped hand to his mouth, readying himself to shout something (most likely offensive) to the oblivious couple. Before he has a chance to speak, Britta grabs a fistful of his shirt and leads both Pierce and Shirley towards the cafeteria.

On her way she looks back and motions for Abed to follow; he nods in agreement. Troy is still frozen in shock, his eyes fixed, wide and unblinking. Copying Britta's lead Abed grabs Troy by the shirt and drags him down the hallway.

* * *

As cafeteria staff busily prepare for the lunch rush the group sits huddled together around their table.

"Ah, the first wife!" Pierce boasts loudly, "I remember the first time I proposed..." his expression changes quickly from one of reflection to one of confusion "April? Doreen. No, Wanda. Maria? No she was a maid, no wait... she was the cook!"

Ignoring Pierce as he carries on his search for the elusive name, Troy turns to Britta. "What are we going to do about this?" he demands angrily "It was bad enough when the two of you were hooking up... what's _THIS_ going to do to the group?" Before she even has a chance to respond, Troy looks across to Abed "And there is no way Jeff is living with us," he warns solemnly as if the prospect is a serious one, then drops his volume as he continues more discreetly "I can't wait any longer than I already have to to use the bathroom in the mornings."

All eyes turn to Britta; in Jeff's absence she has a tendency to slip into the role of the group's default leader. Normally she'd like the feeling of power that comes with the position (though she'd never admit it) but on this occasion she feels uneasy and struggles to formulate a diplomatic response. "They're both..." she hesitates "..._adults_. I'm sure they know what they're doing." Her feeble delivery fails to reassure them, or herself. Seeing this she forces a more chipper tone, hastily adding "They're our friends, we should be happy for them."

Unconvinced, Shirley tugs anxiously at the crucifix around her neck. "I love Jeffery, but you know better than anyone what that boy is like. This is some kind of ploy... Annie's just gonna end up another notch on his bedpost."

Abed cocks his head to the side and stares off into the distance in contemplation. "Actually, Jeff's changed a lot since he stopped sleeping with Britta," he pauses briefly before elaborating "it's as if sleeping with you made him realise how unsatisfying casual sexual encounters can be."

"Gee thanks Abed!" Britta snaps defensively. She knew he had not meant to be insulting but there was truth in what he had said and it hurt.

"Uh uh." Shirley shakes her head with conviction dismissing Abed's insight. "A leopard can't change his spots, no matter how much he wants to."

Britta stares in disbelief at the woman sitting across the table from her. This was the same woman who'd been so quick and willing (too quick and willing in Britta's opinion) to forgive her ex husband after he'd cheated on her and abandoned his family, the same woman who'd allowed him back into their home and into her heart. It was as if Shirley had somehow managed to conveniently erase all this from her memory, along with a few other choice aberrations from her own past.

"Oh I don't know Shirley..." Britta challenges her coyly "...surely you believe _some_ leopards can change?"

The meaning of her pointed question is not lost on her friend. Narrowing her gaze at Britta Shirley concedes; clenching her jaw defiantly as she withdraws into her chair, hugging the large bag in her lap just a little bit tighter for comfort.

Conflicted in her triumph Britta crosses her arms gruffly, sulks back into her own chair and pouts. _It's not my fault Shirley's upset... sometimes the truth hurts!_ She argues against the guilt she feels starting to swell inside her._ She's being hypocritical... and judgemental... and as a Christian Shirley should know better!_ But these weren't the only reasons for Britta's resentment. Her compulsion to point out Shirley's hypocrisy had caused her to inadvertently defend Jeff, leaving Britta questioning if she believes he's actually capable of change - she has serious doubts. And this realisation nags at her; is she just as guilty as Shirley of judging him? Or worse still, is she the bigger hypocrite?

"_Why are you arguing about leopards?_" Troy pleads, worrying the group has lost focus on the situation at hand. "We still haven't figured out what we're going to do about Jeff and Annie!"

"I don't see what the big deal is..." Pierce states matter-of-factly, picking fries from Abed's plate "...he's obviously just using her as his goatee."

"_What?_" the group turns and stares dumbfounded by the older man's comment.

"It's what _they_ do so others won't know they're..." he bumps the tips of his two index fingers together, a gesture by which the group has come to know he means homosexual.

"I think you mean 'beard' Pierce." Britta pinches the bridge of her nose, her forehead wrinkling under the strain of the conversation.

Pierce shrugs unconcerned by his error.

"Hey, where were you guys?" Annie asks cheerfully, suddenly appearing at the end of their table. "I thought we were meeting in the study room."

"Yeah you slackers!" Jeff chimes in as he slides into the empty seat next to Troy.

"We thought maybe the two of you would like some privacy." Shirley replies, her tone saccharine and quizzical.

The couple's eyes meet fleetingly across the table before darting nervously in different directions.

Annie blushes, her smile tensing. "What do you mean?" she asks nervously.

Abed scans her hands and points, "Wait, where's the ring?"

Baffled by his question, the hue fades from Annie's cheeks, "What ring?"

"The _engagement_ ring!" Troy whines insistently.

Annie feels as if she's walked into some kind of parallel universe. "_What?_"

"Look guys we know, okay." Britta groans exhaustedly. "We were outside the study room. We saw Jeff propose!"

"Pfft, down on one knee. Pretty lame Winger." Pierce interjects.

"Wait, _WHAT?_" Jeff and Annie shout in unison.

Shirley smiles at them reassuringly. "We're you're friends, you don't have to hide it from us."

"_I didn't prop_..." Jeff protests.

"Oh you guys..." Annie giggles realising the cause of her friends' confusion. "Jeff wasn't proposing, he was helping me find my barrette!"

Still puzzled, the others look on as Annie rummages through her bag. "It's an heirloom. My Bubbe gave it to me before she died." She withdraws her closed fist from the bag, uncurls her fingers, the small gold filigree clasp sitting in her palm. "See."

"I felt so sick when I thought I'd lost it. I was panicking. It could've been anywhere! Then, just as I was about to start retracing my steps, Jeff came in and offered to help me look." She beams a grateful smile in his direction. "And thankfully he found it!"

Jeff shrugs, feigning that it was no big deal. Shirley rewards his altruism with an 'oh that's nice' smile. Britta just rolls her eyes.

"See Abed..." Troy shakes his head and smiles condescendingly, projecting his own panic from only moments before onto his innocent friend, "...there's nothing going on between Jeff and Annie."

"Ah, the classic 'Not what it looks like' trope; predictable but effective" Abed concludes. He sits quietly processing the information, replaying the scenario in his mind within its new context. Suddenly his eyebrows rise. He turns back to Annie, asking her flatly "But what about the kiss?"


End file.
